Event Calendar

Start Date: 12/7/2021 11:00 AM EST
End Date: 12/7/2021 12:00 PM EST

Venue Name: Virtual

Organization Name: WIIT

WIIT invites you to join us for a discussion on the impact of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) trends on the energy sector. We will define ESG and explain the factors that drive the growing adoption of ESG, notably climate issues, in investment portfolios, shareholder priorities and consequently on corporate strategies – as energy companies look to demonstrate resilience to and through the energy transition.
 
We will assess how policymakers and regulators are responding to ESG trends, including where and why their approaches will differ. President Biden is hard wiring climate into all elements of US policymaking, though Congress is complicating that agenda. Around the world, policymakers are taking a hard look at how and when to assess and address the risks of climate change and the energy transition to financial system stability.
 
Finally, we will unpack how the oil and gas sector has responded to the rise of ESG in the investor and policy space as material constraints on the cost and availability of capital impact different regions, subsectors, and companies differently. The event will also include a discussion about how ESG dynamics will evolve over the long term, from both policy and corporate perspectives, as different countries and companies try to hedge against a litany of burgeoning climate risks.

Speakers:

• Lisa Epifani, Manager for ESG & Sustainability, Strategy and Sustainability Group, Chevron

• Betty Jiang, Head of U.S. ESG Research, Credit Suisse

Moderated by Mikaela McQuade, Director – Energy, Climate & Resources, Eurasia Group

Introduction by Soozhana Choi, Co-Chair of WIIT’s Environment and Energy Program

Bios
Lisa Epifani is the Manager for ESG and Sustainability in Chevron’s Strategy and Sustainability group. The ESG and Sustainability team manages Chevron’s engagement with investors and other stakeholders on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. In addition, the team advises Chevron’s executives and the Board on ESG trends and stakeholder expectations; leads Chevron’s ESG reporting activities; and coordinates the subject matter experts across Chevron on ESG matters. Lisa joined Chevron in 2014 as the Manager of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs (LRA) in Chevron’s Corporate Affairs group.

Prior to joining Chevron, Lisa was a partner with the Van Ness Feldman Law Firm in Washington, D.C. and served in various governmental roles developing energy policy and strategy. She was appointed by President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Assistant Secretary for the Department of Energy’s Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs. Lisa also served at the White House on the National Economic Council as a Special Assistant to President George W. Bush covering energy and environmental issues. Lisa was Counsel on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee under then-Chairman Domenici. 

Lisa received a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School in 1997 and a Bachelor of Arts in the Plan II Honors Program from the University of Texas at Austin in 1994. She was a Marshall Memorial Fellow in 2009.

Betty Jiang is a Director in the Securities Research Division and is the Head of US ESG Research at Credit Suisse. In addition to leading thematic research efforts in the US, Betty works with sector analysts to integrate ESG considerations into their company-specific research and provide unique and relevant ESG-related insights across various sectors/industries. Prior to her current role, Betty covered the US Oil & Gas Exploration and Production sector with a focus on the small/mid-cap companies for 12 years and was a member of the #2 ranked E&P team by Institutional Investor for the majority of that time. She also spent 2 years on the buy side with primary responsibilities for investments in the US E&Ps. She was named to the list of “Rising Stars of Wall Street” in 2014 by Institutional Investor magazine. Betty holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and is a CFA charter holder.

Mikaela McQuade is a senior analyst and practice manager for the Energy, Climate & Resources (ECR) team within Eurasia Group, the world's top political risk management firm. The team provides analytical expertise and strategic insight on the geopolitical, investment, policy, regulatory, and country risk dimensions of global energy markets, commodity development and trade patterns, climate change, and key sustainability factors.

Within Eurasia Group, Mikaela specializes in the policy and geopolitical issues shaping the extractives sectors, renewable energy, climate policy, sustainable finance, and the energy transition. A proud Canadian based in Washington, DC, she works closely with governments, multinational corporations, and major financial institutions active in climate and energy financing. Mikaela is also the lead analyst for the firm’s coverage of Canadian political risk.

Prior to joining Eurasia Group, Mikaela was a senior policy advisor to the Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Natural Resources. In these roles, she focused on advancing the government’s plan for a clean environment and sustainable economy. More broadly, she was responsible for strategic support and legislative and regulatory development on issues such as carbon pricing, major project environmental assessments, industrial development, climate policy, sustainable finance, and Indigenous rights. In addition to her work in government, Mikaela held positions in the Canadian oil and gas sector, working on key public policy and investment issues.

Mikaela earned a Master of Public Policy in energy and environment from the University of Calgary and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Ottawa with an Honours Bachelor's in International Development and Globalization. She is a proud fellow of the Atlantic Council’s Women Leaders in Energy Fellowship.
 
Soozhana Choi